IDE
Short for Integrated Drive
Electronics, IDE is more
commonly known as ATA or
PATA (parallel ATA). It is a
standard interface for IBM
computers that was first
developed by Western Digital
and Compaq in 1986 for
compatible hard drives and CD or DVD drives. IDE is different than
SCSI and ESDI (Enhanced Small Disk Interface) because its
controllers are on each drive, meaning the drive can connect
directly to the motherboard or controller. IDE and its updated
successor, EIDE (Enhanced IDE), are common drive interfaces
found in IBM compatible computers. Below is a picture of the IDE
connector on a hard drive, IDE cable, and the IDE channels on the
motherboard.1
1 https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/i/ide.htm
Note
The location of the 1 pin
(first pin) on an IDE
cable is usually
designated by the red
stripe on one side of the
cable. In the example
picture above, the 1 pin
is on the right side of
the cable.2
How many drives can each IDE
channel support?
Each IDE channel can support two drives. A single IDE ribbon
cable has three connection. One connection connects to the
motherboard and the other two connections are available for the
two drives.3
A ribbon cable is a flat grey cable that is
most commonly used today to describe the
IDE or EIDE inside a computer.4
2 https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/i/ide.htm
3 https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/i/ide.htm
4 https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ribbcabl.htm
SATA
Short for serial AT attachment, SATA 1.0 was
first released in August 2001 and is a
replacement for the parallel ATA interface used
in IBM compatible computers. SerialATA is
capable of delivering 1.5 Gbps (approximately
187 MBps) of performance to each drive within
a disk array. It is backward-compatible with ATA
and ATAPI devices, and offers a thin, small
cable solution, as seen in the "SATA Data Cable"
picture. This cable helps makes cable routing
easier and offers better airflow in the computer
compared to the earlier ribbon cables used with
ATA drives.
SATA also supports external drives through
External SATA more commonly known as eSATA. eSATA offers
many more advantages compared to other solutions. For
example, it is hot-swappable, supports faster transfer speeds with
no bottleneck issues like USB and FireWire, and supports disk
drive technologies (e.g., S.M.A.R.T.).
However, eSATA does have some disadvantages, such as not
distributing power through the cable like USB, which means drives
require an external power source. The eSATA cable also supports
a maximum length of up to 2 meters. Because of these
disadvantages don't plan on eSATA becoming the only external
solution for computers.
What hardware uses the SATA
cable?
The SATA cable is often used with hard drives but is also used
with drives, such as disc drives.
Tip
Earlier computers used an EIDE or SCSI and not a SATA cable.
How many pins does SATA have?
There are two types of SATA cables. The SATA data cable that
transmits the data between the drive and the motherboard has
seven pins. The SATA power cable that connects to the power
supply has fifteen pins.
Where is the SATA connector on
the motherboard?
The location of the SATA connector on a motherboard varies by
motherboard manufacturer. Often these connectors are found on
one of the edges of the motherboard for easy access. See the
picture of a motherboard for an example of a motherboard with
SATA connectors on the left side of the motherboard.
Note
Older motherboards with EIDE/IDE connectors may not have SATA
connectors.
How to connect an IDE drive to SATA
If you have an IDE drive, whether it's a hard drive or CD/DVD
drive, and your motherboard has a SATA connection, you can still
connect an IDE drive.
You can purchase an IDE to SATA adapter to convert an IDE
connection to a SATA connection to connect to the motherboard. 5
Note
You may need an adapter to convert the 4-pin Molex power
connection on the IDE drive if the computer power supply doesn't
have an available 4-pin Molex power connector.
5 https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001599.htm
